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Loading ...Tips and Tricks
didyman
Ok this blog is set up to allow pc builders and modders to share their knowledge of pc building. Basically if you have any tips or tricks on the subject post them below in the comments section! If people have any questions that need answering then post them in the comments aswell.
ok so i’ll go first :p. When doing any mod planning is the most important part. I spent more time planning my m-atx mod than i did building it. Most of my planning involved working out if all the componants that i wanted to put in my pc would fit and if they would be cool enough. The second most important thing is probably having a good work area and proper tools for the mod. I built most of my mod on my bedroom floor and on a table in the garden and most of the mistakes that i made are attributed to that. The best advice that i can give though is: don’t rush things! If you rush sections of your mod then it will show and you’ll always wish you had taken your time with it afterwards!
how would i go about cutting a window in a case when i don’t have a dremel?
Ok good question. Well my method would be to drill a hole at the corners of where the window would be, large enough to fit a jigsaw blade through. you then just have to cut between the corners. To get really straight lines try making a jig to hold case window and/or the jigsaw as your cutting. Just file down the edges of the cuts afterwards. Make sure that you use a metal cutting blade in the jigsaw to avoid injury and get a clean cut. Also when you cut, make sure the window is paint side up and that you mark out the edge of the case window with masking tape first on the paint side, then draw the lines that you will cut along on the tape. Hope this makes sense, i’ll try to put some pics up to help explain better!
Im a complete noob. Never built my own pc but have been dreaming of it for years. The time has come.
I want to build a microATX.
case: lian-li A05 /A06
processor: QX6850 /QX6800/ QX6700
mobo: ASUS P5E-VM HDMI or better?
graphics: 9800 GTX or 9600 GT
psu: CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W or better?
dvd: anyone recommend best lightscribe dvdwriter?
ram: any 4gb at fastest speed?
sound card: no idea cheap but good
wifi: no idea fast wireless N one.
water cooling wld be nice but not sure if can fit all that inside at moment as is. I dont want any water pipes outside the case.
How’s my build sound? I mean, as long as everything fits what can go wrong.
Ok well for one thing the case is definatly big enough to watercool. Having said that it takes a little more planning and trial and error to get it all to fit in a microATX case. Theres room for a double radiator in the top of the case above the motherboard which should be enough to cool at least your cpu and possibly your graphics card aswell athouth it will take a little modding work.
have a look here:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1149468
As for what can go wrong? well if you watercool it then leaks are the main problem. You should definatly assemble the watercooling loop outside of the case first and then run it for a day or so to make sure its not going to damage your components. As for the components that you’ve chosen, id say your really wasting money with the cpu’s your looking at. I would still probably go for a Q6600 and overclock it. Ive managed to take mine up to 3.4ghz in a m-atx pc! With the money you save from your cpu, put it into your graphics card, go for the 9800gtx. For the ram i would go for either some OCZ reaper ram or some corsair dominator, both of which are really cheap these days. For the sound card definatly get a creative x-fi xtreme gamer, there really good and they don’t cost very much. I don’t really know much about wireless cards, just read some reviews before you purchase one. Again i don’t really know about lightscribe drives either. As for the psu 620w should easily be enough power and the psu itself is pretty good. The most important thing with the motherboard is that it is overclockable, i mean whats the point of watercooling a system and then not overclocking it? There aren’t that many good overclocking m-atx boards out there so read a few reviews before you decide on one. I spent more time looking for a decent motherboard than any other component!